Slow Church

Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus

By: C. Christopher Smith, John Pattison

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

2014 Readers' Choice Award Winner 2014 Best Books About the Church from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore

Fast food. Fast cars. Fast and furious. Fast forward. Fast . . . church? The church is often idealized (or demonized) as the last bastion of a bygone era, dragging our feet as we're pulled into new moralities and new spiritualities. We guard our doctrine and our piety with great vigilance. But we often fail to notice how quickly we're capitulating, in the structures and practices of our churches, to a culture of unreflective speed, dehumanizing efficiency and dis-integrating isolationism. In the beginning, the church ate together, traveled together and shared in all facets of life. Centered as they were on Jesus, these seemingly mundane activities took on their own significance in the mission of God. In Slow Church, Chris Smith and John Pattison invite us to leave franchise faith behind and enter into the ecology, economy and ethics of the kingdom of God, where people know each other well and love one another as Christ loved the church.

©2016 eChristian (P)2016 eChristian

For Beginner Pastors

Three stars for faithful interpretation of Scripture, but the premise is extraordinarily basic. Do not expect to find any semblance of a paradigm within these pages.

Lots to consider

I enjoyed the reader and the way he brought me in to consider a slow way of living.

Good theology

I didn't expect the book to link to deep thinkers and theologians but it does and it is helpful. I'm tired of the trend in church-growth bashing but still it is sometimes necessary.

More like "Slow Book"

This book was a big disappointment. I kept wanting the author to stop telling me why a book like this was so needed and cut to the good stuff. But I never did find what I would call good stuff.